TikTok has been completely banned for the first time in a US state

Greg Gianforte, the US state of Montana, signed a landmark ban on Wednesday, making it the first US state to Tik Tok Absolutely forbidden.

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This is because, previously, some states and even the federal government had already blocked the app on official cell phones of government employees. Now, Montana has banned the use of TikTok across the state, preventing its citizens from accessing the platform.

Montana’s governor justified the action as a way to “protect the personal and private data of Montana residents from the Chinese Communist Party,” an argument that has been used for years in the country to request a TikTok ban.

The new law will take effect in January 2024 and stipulates fines for app stores, such as the Google Play Store and the App Store, that allow downloads of TikTok. The text doesn’t say anything about app updates for those who already have it installed.

TikTok can still appeal or sell it so it won’t be banned outright

In the letter of the law, there is an exception for a ban not to occur: if ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, sells the app to a company based in a country that is not considered a “foreign adversary” to the United States.

However, before the law comes into force, the law can also be challenged in court, which it should.

The NetChoice Association, which represents tech companies like Meta, Twitter and Google, issued a statement saying the new law was “manifestly unconstitutional.” In response, TikTok also stated that the law “violates the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana by illegally banning TikTok, a platform that empowers hundreds of thousands of people across the state.”

The company has also stated that it wants to reassure the citizens of Montana that they can continue to use TikTok to express themselves, make a living, and find community, while continuing to work to defend the rights of its users inside and outside Montana. It is now waiting to see if other states in the country will follow the ban.